Cerulean Sky
by kagomesizz
Summary: Canon fic, continuing after Kagome returns to the Feudal Era. Inuyasha and Kagome tell of the things that happened while they were apart for three years. Rated M for for violence, malcontent, and citrus.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Inuyasha. All rights respectfully belong to Rumiko Takahashi

The air was clear. It seems it had been forever since she had smelled anything like this again. Along with the cool air of twilight, she could also feel the return of her aura. It's like it was amplified a hundred fold in the sengoku judai.

It had been three years since she had been back to the feudal era. Three years since she had seen her dearest friends. Three years since she had seen HIM. That was the part that was the most surreal. It was the most euphoric feeling she had ever known. And now here he was beside her, his amber eyes reflecting the red glow of the fire. There was something else there, too, something that she couldn't miss since she had returned this morning. When he had pulled her up from the bone-eaters well, in the instant their eyes met, she had seen a ripple of emotion shattering in his eyes. As if all of the anger and worry he held on to for three years had in an instant, been shattered and melted. In an instant those eyes had changed to something like she had never seen, even in the past. She still was unsure how to explain it, even to herself.

Miroku and Sango had left their three children in the village with Kaede, just so they could join Inuyasha and Kagome and be able to share stories of the three years that had passed since Kagome had gone to her time. The air had been still when they ate their meal and reminisced.

"I cannot even begin to tell you how I've missed you, Kagome!" Sango chimed with joy. "There has not been a day that has gone by that we have not thought of you and wondered how you were doing."

"I feel the exact same way, Sango, though it looks as if you two have kept pretty busy in my absence, eh?" Kagome replied with a wink. Sango was past the point of blushing at this time, being she had three children and a still very "loving" husband. She nodded and smiled at Kagome.

"Kagome sama, tell me what you did in your spare time while you were away? Surely you must have done more than just study and graduate?" Miroku smirked with a gleam in his eye. Kagome shifted uncomfortably. "Well, Miroku, I am not sure I understand. I did go out with my friends once in awhile if that's what you are asking."

"Oh how nice! I'm sure you had a lot of fun. But how many men did you date? Were any of them serious?" Miroku stated stoically, earning a slap from Sango.

Inuyasha, who had been unusually quiet the entire time, looked up from the fire, only to glare daggers at the monk.

"No Miroku. I did not date. I did not have a boyfriend. I had no interest in that at all to tell you the truth. There was a situation I ran into about a year after I left you guys. It was during the summer.

Eri and I were shopping when I ran into a guy that I had gone to middle school with. At first it was just friendly conversation, I never wanted anything more. Then as the weeks went by, he would call me several times a day, to the point where I would ignore his phone calls all together. Then he started showing up at my house when he knew I was home alone. Things got...bad..." Kagome trailed off, as her group was staring at her, mouths agape. Except Inuyasha. If any random passerby were to look in his direction at that moment they would have turned and fled for their lives at what they saw.

Kagome snapped back to her cheerful self in a split second. "Well! Anyway, enough about me, it was a boring few years without all of you", she spoke earnestly. "I hope Shippo can catch up with us soon so I can hear about how his school is going!"

Sango took this moment to stand up and walk toward her dear friend. She scooped her up in a bear hug as her tears flowed down her cheeks.

"I love you Kagome. I am so glad you are back. Please excuse Miroku and I, we need to pick up the children and get them home to bed. Will you be stopping by tomorrow? We would love to show you around the new house!"

"O-of course Sango! I can't wait! Thank you so much for dinner and for catching me up to everything that I missed", she smiled at Sango. "We will be there tomorrow!"

Kagome sighed as she watched the monk and slayer walk off together, hand in hand. She turned to ask Inuyasha why he had been so quiet the whole time when her words caught in her throat at the sight of him. He was still staring into the fire, but the melted embers of his eyes were now gone. In place was a look of frozen hatred. She could see him shaking slightly, trying to hold himself together. Is that why Sango and Miroku had left so suddenly?

"Inuyasha"she whispered. "What is it?"

"WHAT DID HE DO?!" his booming voice sent an entire flock of crows flying from the trees. His voice quieted. "Why didn't you tell me earlier about this? Who was it? That Hobo guy?"

Kagome searched for words, hanging her head as she felt the first tears of the night sting her eyes. She decided the best answer was the correct one, though she had to admit it was not going to be an easy topic for her.

She had tried to bury this memory along with him.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer:

I do not own Inuyasha. All rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Please R&amp;R, constructive criticism is most welcome!

Chapter 2

His glare was burning a hole in the side of her head. "Inuyasha, please stop doing that or I won't be able to talk to you about this. It's already a subject that I had managed to bury two years ago", Kagome sighed. At this, Inuyasha's expression softened and he grabbed her hand and squeezed. The embers of the fire shone a brilliance that danced on her face like fireflies in the night. Sure, he had met some beauties in his day, but none that could even hold a candle to this woman in front of him. 'Woman', he thought. When had a mere three years changed her so, from the girl he once knew to the woman in front of him now. Her hair was slightly longer and had a soft shine to it, probably due to her futuristic "conditioners", but in honesty he thought it was just her. Her mercurial eyes had settled on a shade of slate gray tonight, most likely because she was upset. That was one of the ways he always knew she was upset, because of her color changing eyes. He swore to himself by the end of the night her eyes would reflect the clearest cerulean sky. He would make that happen. He would make her happy no matter what it took.

She cleared her throat and shifted on the blanket, her long legs tucked under her. She had given up the school uniform and had borrowed a traditional kimono from Sango. She had to admit she loved the colors. The white irises against a dark crimson silk was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen in a kimono. She made a mental note to ask Sango where she had gotten it.

"Two years ago", she began, "Eri and I went to the mall looking for a gift for Ayuki's birthday. We were just finishing up when we ran into Hojo." Kagome couldn't miss Inuyasha's flinch at the sound of that name, "He asked me out on a date, which wasn't far fetched for him, I guess. He really acted fine when I politely declined, but little did I know how much he would persist..." she trailed off in remembrance.

Kagome decided that in order to tell the story, she would have to tell Inuyasha everything, and in order to do that she would have to relive it. She would have to mentally place herself in the memory again, and as much as she hated it, she would have no secrets with Inuyasha. Never. She loved him too much to ever have secrets with him.

She took a deep breath and began again, Inuyasha watching her with silent eyes.

As she told her story, she drifted back as if she was there again. She had gone home after shopping to help her mom make bento lunches for Souta and Gramps. As her and her mother idly chatted about nothing in particular, she got a phone call from him. Hojo explained that he didn't really get a chance to tell her all he wanted to in front of Eri, and he would love to catch up with Kagome since they had last seen each other. Kagome explained to him again that she was not interested in dating at all, making it clear that it was not just him in particular.

"Oh, I understand, Kagome, that is no problem at all", he said with cheer in his voice, "but perhaps we could meet up as friends to catch up over coffee tomorrow morning?"

Though she had been slightly annoyed at the time, she knew she shouldn't take out her pain from the separation from Inuyasha out on Hojo. "Sure, that would be fine", she said, "how about 9 am tomorrow morning then?"

"Ah, yes! Wonderful! I will see you tomorrow!" he hung up before she had a chance to reply. She frowned at the phone before hanging up.

"Who was that dear?", her mother asked, concerned with the expression on her daughter's face.

"It was Hojo. I ran into him this morning at the mall and he wanted to take me out. I declined, and now he is asking again, only as friends though, so I accepted. Should I have done that mama?"Kagome spoke softly as she finished the question.

"Well I don't see what is wrong with catching up with old friends, after all, you just recently started hanging out with your girlfriends again after all that...happened... after the well quit working." Mrs. Higurashi winced at her choice of words, though she new there was never an easy way to talk about it without upsetting Kagome.

"Besides dear, it has been awhile since you have gone on a date with Hojo, and if this little outing turned into one, would that be so bad?"

Kagome stared at her mother as if she had grown a second head. "I've told you before mama, I have no interest in Hojo, nor will I ever, in that way. He is a friend, nothing more..." she trailed, "mama...I won't ever love another, you know that right?" she hung her head as tears threatened to fall...again...

"Oh, honey I am so sorry, I just want to see you happy again. I DO understand, but I can still hope, you know." Mrs. Higurashi wrapped her daughter in a warm embrace and let her cry for what seemed like forever.

**Please R&amp;R! Thank you so much!**


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own Inuyasha. All rights respectfully belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Please R&amp;R! :)

Chapter 3

The next morning Kagome awoke to the sound of booming thunder and rain against her window. She sat up with a start, at first disoriented to where she was. As realization dawned on her, as it did every morning, the weight once again came crashing on her chest.

Ever since they separated at the well she hated waking up in the morning. She was always disoriented and plagued by nightmares. Nightmares of never seeing him again. Sadly, that seemed to be a reality now. She stifled a sob and crushed her face in her overstuffed pink pillow. Her room was like a foreign place to her now that he never came. It was a colder place... a colder world.

She had a habit of loitering around the bone eater's well on a daily basis. She hated the fact that it worried her family so, but she was selfish that way. She had to have that time at the well. She had to have that time, if only for her sanity. As she looked at her alarm clock she shrieked in shock.

"EEK! 8:30! I'm going to be late for coffee!" Kagome rushed as she scrambled out of bed , threw on a pair of skinny jeans, Fergie boots, and a loose fit sweater. She ran a comb through her hair but decided against make-up, partially because she didn't really have time, and partially because she just didn't really care that much. "Kami, I'm awful. What a horrible person I've become, "she stated matter-of-factly as she walked past her vanity, down the steps, and out the front door.

The coffee shop was a simple few blocks walk away, so Kagome used the time to prepare herself for what she would say to Hojo if and when he asked her out again. She knew him well enough to know he would, and probably sooner than later.

She liked him enough, sure. He was boyishly handsome with shaggy sandy brown hair and matching eyes. He had grown about 6 inches taller since she had been in school with him too. There was just something about him that was...off. Kagome shrugged, "I'm sure it's just because he's not Inuyasha." Saying his name out loud made her stomach drop to her knees and a whole new rush of pain course through her entire body. She tried as best she could to shake off the feeling as she rounded the corner to the coffee shop.

"Hi Hojo, I'm sorry, have you been waiting long?"

"Oh! Kagome!" Hojo looked up from his newspaper to see her standing in front of him. "Not at all! I only just got here, please sit down."

As they sat and sipped, Hojo filled her in on the lost time between them. Kagome couldn't help but let her mind wander, as it usually did. It wasn't Hojo's fault, it's just how she was these days.

She gave herself props for psychically predicting that he would ask her out (again), and she decided in the end she would just be as honest as possible with him. She had told him that her and her boyfriend had separated and that it was the hardest thing she had ever gone through. She knew she couldn't really say anything other than that without giving everything away, so she settled with that. She told him that she had never had feelings for him, and for that she was sorry, but that was the way it was.

Kagome noticed that during the entire conversation, as she explained to Hojo of her feelings, as slow as can be, his eyes changed. The softness and enamor drained out as slow as molasses with each word she spoke.

Yet she couldn't stop now. She would never have anyone say that she led him on. His eyes masked something beyond what she could see, though. Something she had no idea he had been harboring for years.

"Do you understand Hojo?" Kagome touched the back of his hand gently to make sure he was listening.

You would have thought her hand was made of a branding iron, as fast as he recoiled from her touch. Kagome jumped at his sudden movement, and at once, he stood up angrily.

"Sure. I got it, Kagome. Excuse me please, I must go", and with that he stormed out of the shop and into the torrential rain. 'When had it started to rain again?' she wondered, 'and why is he walking so slow to his car?' Kagome thought as she stared at Hojo's slow retreating silhouette in the rain. She felt bad. She wished, though, that she had felt _worse. Why didn't she feel worse?_ She had crushed his heart in front of her very eyes and all she felt was...nothing. Like so often nowadays.

In the weeks to follow Kagome had kept herself busy at the shrine, making herself work hard and give tours. It was mainly to take up the emptiness in her, but also because her grandfather had been increasingly fragile lately, and Mrs. Higurashi was constantly away, taking him to Dr's appointments.

It was about 3 weeks after the coffee shop incident that she heard from Hojo again. He had tried calling her several times after their meeting, but Kagome ignored the calls, mainly because she felt she had made her point and it was over. Then he showed up to the shrine one day as she was organizing the shop.

"Hello Higurashi."

"EEP!" Kagome fell from the shelf she had been standing on, landing smack on her rear. "HOJO! What are you doing here?!" she boomed, rubbing her sore hind end as she stood.

"I wanted to ask you on a date. And to ask you why you have been ignoring my calls."he said, with no emotion of any kind, which scared the hell out of Kagome.

She stared at him incredulously for what seemed like forever. "Hojo", she spoke softly wringing her hands, "I told you. I don't date. I will _never_ date. I am sorry, but I am not interested in being your girlfriend or anything more. I thought you understood that."

"I understood that you _said _that,"he replied, "but I really think you don't understand yourself what you really want. Just give me a chance to prove to you that you could love again. I AM good for you, Higurashi, whether you want to admit that to yourself or not."

It was Kagome's turn to be angry, and she was far_, far _beyond anger at this point. 'How _dare he _presume to know what is right for me?' she thought, seething. She knew if she didn't calm herself down at this point she would likely throat punch him so she spoke as calm and as confidently as she could. "Hojo-kun. Please leave. I have told you how I feel, and I _know _my feelings on this will NOT change. I wanted to stay friends with you, but I don't think that will be possible now since your mind is set on a more intimate relationship with me that will never happen."

He stared at her with a fire in his demeanor that she had never seen in him before. A rage that she had to admit slightly rattled her and sent shivers down her spine. With no words, he spun on his heal and strode away, only stopping to punch out the glass in the store room window, sending fractals flying in every direction.

When he was no where in sight, Kagome slumped to the ground, incredulous at what had just taken place. She had never known Hojo to be violent, much less destroy private property. This mess was going to take awhile to clean up...

In the next few weeks he had stopped by twice more when no one but her was home, and those next visits were not unlike the first. Why didn't he get it? What did she have to do to get through to him?

It wasn't until the evening one spring day that things turned so, so much worse.


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own Inuyasha. All rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Please R&amp;R! :) :) :)

****Warning****

**This chapter does contain violence, and while it does not contain rape, it DOES contain the intent. You have been warned. Sorry for the extreme OOC on Hojo's part, but come on, he can't REALLY be as nice as he lets on, right? (Perhaps I'm too cynical) ;) On to chapter 4!**

Kagome kissed her mother and grandfather goodbye on that evening. Mrs. Higurashi had gotten gramps into Rochester Clinic overseas for some in depth testing on his condition, so they would be gone almost a month. Kagome was dreading it. At least she would have Souta, but he was always either at school or staying with friends (as he was this evening). As she waved goodbye to them, the wind changed, sending a chill through her. Though her miko powers were "muted" in her era, she knew herself well enough to know the feeling she was getting and no good would come of it.

She shook it off, attributing it to being alone. She never told her mother or gramps about Hojo. About any of it. She didn't want them to worry for nothing, especially with gramps' health lately. Her mother was blissfully unaware, thinking that Kagome and Hojo had parted as friends at the coffee shop. Nothing more.

Kagome ignored the feeling of ill-will inside her and crept off to the well house. She sat at the lip of the bone-eater's well for what seemed like an eternity. Remembering. Remembering their final battle with Naraku. Remembering her friends. Remembering Inuyasha. Just the thought of his name alone was enough to elicit a choking sob from her. Why? Why did the Kami's want them apart from one another? What was he doing? Had he found happiness without her? As much as it pained her to think of him with someone else, above all, she wanted happiness for him. She tried, _tried, _not to think of his face. His golden eyes that she all too often got lost in. The way his jaw set when he was angry and softened when he was near her. The feeling of riding the wind, of flying through the forests in Edo on his back, his strong arms themselves promising to never let her fall.

She snapped out of her musings in an instant at the noise that crashed through the small well house. _The door is open? Who is that? I didn't know I had been in here that long, _her thoughts raced as she noticed behind the mysterious figure was a black night. No moon in sight.

She stumbled as the figure came rushing at her, and nearly fell back into the well. When he reached her, she knew.

"Hojo."

She found no other words than that one, and if she could have, there would have been no time to speak them before she felt the pain to the side of her face. An explosion of red and white stars graced her eyes as she reeled.

_Oh Gods he HIT me! That BASTARD hit me! _

Instincts kicked in and she lashed out in front of her, not really seeing at all in the darkness. He said nothing, only grabbed her wrist with enough force to make her cry out in the darkness as he pinned it behind her back. She stilled. She knew she was not as physically strong as him, so she would have to try and talk herself out of this situation.

As Kagome struggled for words, she could feel Hojo slinking behind her, never letting go of her wrist. She felt his breath on her neck, sending ice down her back.

And still he said nothing.

"Hojo-Kun..."she began "-SHUT UP!" he screamed in her ear, "Don't you DARE address me with such endearments after what you did to me! I have given you EVERYTHING that I have! EVERYTHING that I AM! And what have you EVER shown me in return? Nothing. _Lies_." his right arm snaked under her sweater as he breathed this last word.

Kagome stilled as realization dawned on her. _Oh Kami what the hell is he going to DO? What am I going to do? _An unintentional whimper escaped from her lips, and in a flash he had spun her around, crashing their lips together in a violent kiss.

She struggled, her now free arm beating against him, but both arms held her fast in a bone crushing embrace. Her head was racing. She did the only thing she could think of in the moment to get him away from her. She kneed him where it counts.

He instantly cried out, shoving her away as they both crashed to the ground.

She crept on the ground, feeling around for anything she could use as a weapon when she felt a shattering pain on her ankle. Before she could scream, his fist once again connected with her face, sending a new wave of pain exploding her vision. She could feel her blood flowing down her face and on her shirt.

Another blow. This one connecting with her stomach, knocking the wind out of her and making her gasp in shock and pain. She was vaguely aware at this point that he was speaking to her.

"Do you think I WANT to hurt you?! Why are you not giving me a CHOICE Kagome! I am not asking much of you, just give me a chance. I will prove to you that I can make you happy..." he whispered this last sentence so quietly that she didn't hear him. She could only feel the pain. The pain and something else. His hands. His hands were everywhere. At first she imagined he had 8 or 9 of them, just to make some sense out of what was happening. But he was so hungry for her that his hands were _everywhere. _

_ Oh kami help me, I feel sick! Inuyasha! _A tear rolled down her blood and dirt stained cheek as she thought of him. That settled it. She would think of him to get through this torture. She knew she couldn't scream without getting beaten, and even if she did, who would hear her?

She silently sobbed as his hands continued their ministrations. Continued to violate her.

"Shh baby, be so quiet, I promise I will make you happy" he psychotically crooned.

Blackness was beginning to encapsulate her, when the well house door was suddenly and literally ripped off of its hinges.

After that Kagome was vaguely aware of the fight between two men. _Wait. ONE man, and one boy...oh Gods, SOUTA!_


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own Inuyasha, all rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter 5

"Ughhhh..."Kagome groaned as she tried to open her eyes. She could feel the sunlight from her window on her face, and though it should have felt like a slice of heaven, all she felt was..._pain?_

She bolted upright as remembrance of the previous night came crashing down on her, only to late to realize that her body wasn't up to "bolting" in anyway. The pain was intense, and it was everywhere. Her face, her ankle, her legs. What happened after he...

"Sis, lie down, please don't move too much, or you will re-open your stitches", Souta sat next too her with a concerned look donning his young handsome features.

"I know you have questions", he went on, "so just lie down and I will tell you everything that happened on my part, then if you are up for it you can tell me your story. If not, I understand.

I was heading home after studying with Eddie. I thought about just staying there for the night since it was so late, but I knew mom and gramps had left and I didn't want you feeling alone. When I got home and realized you weren't there, I realized the only place you probably were was where you ALWAYS are...at the well.

As I got closer to the well house door, I thought I heard a man's voice." Souta trailed, and a frightened looked washed over his features. He was still so young, and yet he had grown so much, Kagome thought almost overnight. She listened with silent tears as her dear brother started again.

"I knew, ya know? I knew something was wrong so I busted in without thinking. Imagine my surprise at the scene before me: Hojo, a guy I've known for years, sprawled over my half-naked sister with his filthy paws all over her. I lost it. Like, sis, I _really _fucking lost it. I have never personally known the phrase 'seeing red' until last night. I wanted nothing more than to kill him, and I probably would have succeeded if he hadn't of ran off. We fought for a short time, but I managed to crack him pretty good with a 2x4 that was lying by the well. Before I could get to him again, he ran off."

"But Sota, you don't have a scratch on you, how is that possible? You said you fought with him..." Kagome was undoubtedly confused by this.

"Let me finish sis. I said we fought a short while, but it was mainly me getting a few cheap shots off before I found the 2x4. I have to admit the fucker's tough, but he lacks in agility. Not ME!", Souta puffed out his chest and pounded it proudly, "I swear I'll find him 'gome, and when I do..."he trailed as Kagome held up a hand to shush him.

"Souta...thank you. I can't imagine what went through your mind when you saw all of it. But...how did I get here? How do I have stitches? Where is Hojo now?" the questions kept piling as Kagome grew more and more confused.

"I called Eddies dad right after he ran off. Told him I needed him here ASAP. You know he's a doctor right? Then I called the cops. I didn't want them messing with you and bothering you so I told them about what happened and that Hojo was on the run, but that you were being cared for right now by a close family friend and doctor, and that you were still unconscious so you wouldn't be available for questioning until later today. I'm sorry, sis, I didn't know what else to do. I'm sorry he's still on the loose. I'm sorry for not being there for you before all this shit happened" he bowed his head in defeat.

Kagome took her brothers face in her hands, "Souta, I am so _proud _of you", she said as she brushed his bangs out of his face, "Thank you for helping me. Please thank Eddie's father for seeing to me as well."

"Yeah, well, you're lucky nothing is broken, you would have killed me if I would have had to have called mom back home! You have a lot of bruising and a few sets of stitches on you, but nothing that won't heal with time...physically that is", he flinched at his last words.

"Souta. I'm not as weak as you think. The pain he inflicted was _NOTHING_ compared to the emptiness I have inside me." she explained with tears in her eyes. Just then there was a knock at the door. Eddie's father the good doctor walked in followed by two police officers. Kagome sighed. She wasn't ready to give a statement but better to do it now and get it out of the way.

The next several hours went by in a haze. She answered all the questions to the best of her ability and Eddie's dad (whose name she still didn't know) checked her over again. No one called her mom, to which she was eternally grateful. She thought that may be because Eddie's dad must have had some pull.

Two uneventful days went by. Souta did not leave Kagome's side since the bastard was still on the lam. As Kagome was washing dishes and Souta was napping on the couch, the phone rang. Thinking it was her mom, Kagome quick-dried her hands and ran to the phone.

"Mosh-Moshi" she answered breathlessly. What she heard on the other line made her skin crawl and her blood turn to ice.

"I _WILL _have you, Kagome...and then I will _kill _you for ruining me"

Click. That was it. She dropped the phone to the floor and the sound of it crashing sent Souta rushing to her.

"Sis! Who was it?"his eyes were livid as he didn't need to wait for his sister's response. The look on her face told him enough. He ushered her to the couch while he called the officers who were on the case. Since the Higurashi's phone was tapped, they were going to see if there was any way to trace the call.

Now all they could do was wait. Souta and Kagome sat together on the couch, not really talking, but not really watching the T.V. Either, until a breaking news bulletin came on the air. The anchor woman appeared to be standing on a road in the bluffs.

"This just in: A person was fatally injured after the car he was driving careened off the edge of this bluff behind me. Officers say the driver had to have been driving at least 40 miles over the speed limit, but no word yet as to why his car went off the road, as there were no witnesses to this gruesome scene. We will update more as the story unfolds, but as of now the driver has not been identified as officials are waiting on dental records."

Kagome was frozen. The TV was showing the wreckage of a car that did not resemble a car whatsoever. There would be no way for anyone to even tell what kind of car it was, as it was now a mangled heap of white metal. But when the camera zoomed to the internal of what used to be a white Ford Focus, and she saw that the little wooden family crest that she had given him was somehow still hanging from the rear view mirror-she knew.

Hojo was dead.


End file.
